Last week, I argued that 'City of Blood' - a low-key Arrow outing that felt more like a prologue to something greater than an entity in its own right - could only be fairly judged after this week's instalment had aired and there'd been an opportunity to consider the complete picture.

If Arrow had fumbled the follow-through - even a little - then the whole affair might've felt like an example of all set-up and no payoff. But - as if there were ever any doubt - the series absolutely delivers, offering up a relentless onslaught of action that more than justifies the previous week's more contemplative scene-setting.

The breathless 'Streets of Fire' throws you into the action headfirst, with fists and bullets flying from the off. Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett) has unleashed chaos on Starling City - considering the city itself to be one of Oliver (Stephen Amell)'s loved ones - and with his savage thugs running amok, this is no longer a city of Blood.

Mayor Blood has gone from being the most powerful man in Starling to just another victim and as soon as we see his efforts to save the District Attorney fall on deaf ears, it becomes eminently clear that Sebastian's time is running out.

As Arrow bids farewell to one memorable antagonist, it welcomes back another - Thea (Willa Holland) is caught up in the fiery chaos and when a masked archer does come to her rescue, it's not Oliver but her absentee father Malcolm Merlyn.

With the city in ruins, Malcolm has chosen the worst possible time to attempt some father/daughter bonding, but crucially his affection for Thea - the only surviving family he has left - seems genuine.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

'Streets of Fire' casts Merlyn more as an anti-hero than villain, so I'm intrigued to see where the character goes from here, if indeed he survived those gunshots. A path towards redemption certainly doesn't seem to jibe with Greg Berlanti's comments regarding the Dark Archer's status as Oliver's "ultimate foe".

One more point about the Malcolm's reappearance - mightn't it have been an even more powerful and shocking reveal if his survival had been kept a secret from viewers until that very moment?

The character's barely featured in this second season anyway, and the reveal about Thea's parentage would work whether Malcolm was believed alive or dead, so it might have packed more of a punch if Arrow had held off on that particular twist.

Former followers of Ra's al Ghul are flooding back into the city this week, as Sara (Caity Lotz) also returns, with her sister Laurel (Katie Cassidy) now in full possession of the facts.

Laurel's pleasing growth continues here - the proud, compassionate figure who comforts her broken sister couldn't be further from the drunken, self-involved mess we were forced to tolerate earlier this season.

'Streets of Fire' and other recent episodes have proven what I always knew - that it was questionable decisions on the writing front fuelling fans' Laurel hate rather than anything relating to Katie Cassidy's portrayal.

But while Laurel's back in our good books, Sara considers herself beyond redemption. She's now hailed as a hero by the citizens of Starling, but I've still got a lingering suspicion that The Canary won't make it out of this season alive, committing a final redeeming act of self-sacrifice in the finale and positioning Laurel to take up her sister's alias.

As anticipated, 'Streets of Fire' and the preceding 'City of Blood' are perhaps best considered as one 90-minute episode - an Arrow TV movie, if you like, and one that delivers not only the requisite emotional beats but also an abundance of spectacle.

The two episodes combined are easily epic enough to serve as a season ender, but there's still more to come. And with ARGUS ready to level the city, 'Unthinkable' looks set to be even more explosive - in the most literal possible sense.

If this week's Arrow met my high expectations, then I'm expecting the show to absolutely blow my mind as season two reaches its climax.

Olicity moment of the week - There's only one contender here. Whenever Ollie decides to open up, it's always to his confidante Miss Smoak and their emotional exchange following Oliver's "I have failed this city!" speech featured some terrific work from both Amell and Emily Bett Rickards.

That said, when she pulled him in for that hug, was anyone else expecting these two to finally kiss?

Oh, and Felicity flattening the ruthless Ravager - "What do you think, hit her again?" - was amazing.

Poor Roy (Colton Haynes) has had a rough time of things this season. What will the untested Mirakuru cure do to the boy?

This is the second season of Arrow to culminate in the utter devastation of Starling City. I'm loving the epic action, but season three should perhaps switch things up and opt for something different.

Led by Paul Blackthorne's reinstated Detective Lance, the police force unite behind The Arrow for the first time - another important step in Oliver's journey from ruthless vigilante to symbol of justice.